


This Isn't Everything You Are

by holysmoaksoliver



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: AU, Austenland - Freeform, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-17
Updated: 2014-09-24
Packaged: 2018-02-17 17:32:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2317634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/holysmoaksoliver/pseuds/holysmoaksoliver
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU- Based on the Austenland movie with a lot of those same recurring themes (maybe even a line or two). There's a made up comic-verse, a whole lot of fangirling Felicity, and surprisingly several Arrow characters that I wasn't initially intending.  If nothing else, great for a laugh or two.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Felicity had finally pinpointed the root of her obsession, and to be honest, she completely blamed Sara. Sara, who’d shown Felicity her first comic at age eight. Sara, who’d initiated their imaginary play time as ‘hero’ and ‘damsel’ instead of princesses or cops and robbers. Sara, who had grown out of her obsession about the time her boobs came in, and left Felicity alone to geek out at her favorite super-hero movies, drool over Comic-Con tickets and fantasize about being rescued from a precarious situation by a masked hero.

So here she was, twenty five, perpetually single, and she’d just found out from one of her most reliable blogger friends that Comic-Con was creating an ‘ultimate fan’ challenge. The winner would receive a five day complete immersion experience in Felicity’s favorite comic-verse, Phantom Fire.

Felicity had been in love with Phantom Fire, aka Rick Holte, since she first laid eyes on the comic. Her obsession grew, steadily over the years, especially when she found out that it was turned into a mini series in the 80’s. Emilio Estevez had played the first televised incarnation and Felicity had illegally downloaded the four part series last year even though she had it on DVD.

But things really went south obsession wise when they announced a new animated television series centering around Phantom Fire, exploring his origins and bringing in new characters in the comic-verse. Felicity’s obsession went into overdrive and Sara began calling her best friend’s sanity into question.

“You need to stop this,” Sara said, leaning over Felicity’s shoulder. The blonde was huddled over her laptop in her room, furiously attempting to land a spot in the Phantom Fire trivia challenge. It was the qualifier to winning the Phantom Fire trip and Felicity would stop at nothing to be the winner.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Felicity said, not even looking up, her fingers dancing across the keys, continually refreshing the page to see if she’d been chosen. “Hey, quiz me while you’re here.”

“No,” Sara said, pulling on Felicity’s pony tail so that her head tilted back and the two locked eyes. “Seriously, Fe-- this has gotten out of control.”

Felicity sighed, her fingers itching to get back to the computer, to refresh until they announced the final contestant in the trivia challenge. “It’s not out of control,” she said, feeling more like a junkie than she should. “I can stop any time I want.”

“You sound like an addict,” Sara scoffed.

“But I’m not,” Felicity answered, slowly pulling her head down, back toward the computer screen. She refreshed the screen several more times until the final slot was filled in. And then Felicity felt her heart stop beating.

She went into immediate hyperventilations and nearly fell out of her chair. Sara glanced over Felicity’s shoulder again, spotting her friends name. Sara spun the desk chair around to face her and grabbed ahold of Felicity’s shoulders.

“Breathe,” she demanded, watching her friend struggle for breath in the midst of her excitement. “You’ll never make it to the trivia round if you stop breathing and die.”

This seemed to calm Felicity down enough to at least manage some semblance of inhaling and exhaling.

“I---I---I did it.” She was bouncing in her chair now, looking like she was going to explode. “It’s just too much. I can’t…. I can’t.”

“You can’t what?” Sara asked.

“I just can’t,” Felicity said with a laugh, beginning to reverberate with intense feelings. She spun around in her chair a few times, before posting excited messages all over the interwebs to all of her fandom friends, many of whom were already congratulating her-- or telling her how much they hated her. This seemed to make her even more excited and Sara took a seat on Felicity’s bed, watching the excitement come in waves every time a new friend messaged her.

“Just because you are in the trivia round doesn’t mean you’re going to win,” Sara said.

Felicity threw her a glare. “Thanks Debbie Downer.”

“I’m just saying. These are all superfans, and there’s forty years of comic book knowledge to memorize.”

“Oh god!” Felicity exclaimed, reaching for the closest stack of comics. “I’m going to have to stay up all night making flashcards. We should have a viewing party. Do you want to have a viewing party?”

“It’s Friday night,” Sara said, with an expectant look that said she’d rather be out at a bar or club, dancing with cute strangers and each other, making everyone there want them.

“I know but the trivia match is in two days!”

“And Rick Holte isn’t going to keep you warm at night!” Sara said, rolling her eyes.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just that this…” Sara gestured around the room. “It’s hindering you from having a life…”

Felicity’s shoulders and gaze both fell. “Harsh…”

Sara took Felicity’s hand, grabbing her attention. “You know I”m just looking out for you sweetie. I understand liking Rick and Phantom Fire, but it’s just fantasy.”

“Maybe fantasy is better than reality.”

“I’m going to say one more thing about it and then I’ll be excited and happy for you, okay?” Felicity nodded, so Sara continued. “I know you think that this fantasy is better than reality…. but when this whole thing is over, the contest, the trip-- will you consider giving reality a fair shot?”

Felicity frowned. So much for being over-enthused and literally bouncing off the walls. All she could think now was that her best friend was ashamed to be that. But she had to admit, when it came right down to it, every single relationship she’d ever been in fell short. And they’d all fallen short for one distinct reason- not a single one of the guys she’d dated in real life could measure up to Rick Holte and Phantom Fire. It was like Rick was the ultimate man and no one else even came close.

It was stupid, she knew. The thought that there could be someone out there that could compare to Rick. Someone that could be both strong and compassionate, entitled but strangely down to earth. A man who lived a little bit dangerously and knew how to be passionate. Those things rarely co-mingled in a single person, if they did at all. So it was easier just to love the fantasy of Rick and go on letting him be her perfect guy.

And in that moment she understood what Sara meant. Felicity sighed and nodded her head. “Deal,” she conceded.

Sara smiled. “Great,” she tapped Felicity’s knee. “Now we’ve got some trivia prepping to do. How about you get the DVD’s set up and we make fun of Emilio Estevez’s 80’s costumes ?”

Felicity cleared her throat and stood, closing her computer. She was still excited about the trivia challenge, but she’d be lying if she wasn’t just the least bit nervous that when this was all said and done, Sara would be right.

\--

They’d announced that there would, in fact, be two winners to the contest. These two winners would each receive a 5 day all-inclusive, totally immersive experience in the Phantom Fire-verse. The trip would be to a soundstage transformed to look like the streets of Silver City where Rick Holte lived. Each winner would have their own penthouse suite just like Rick’s and would have the chance to interact with characters from the comics. And even though Felicity knew they would be most likely all out of work actors hired for the week, she couldn’t help but feel a thrill of excitement at the thought of living in a world of cosplay, even if it only was for a few days.

She’d even read a spoiler that at the end of the week there’d be a charity gala where The Baron would attempt to kidnap the winners and that a Silver City hero would swoop in and rescue them. That thought alone was enough to send Felicity over the edge.

It was the last round of the Comic-Con trivia challenge and Felicity was up against the biggest fan she’d ever met. Whoever won this round would be the last winner. Another girl, Iris West had already won the first spot earlier in the day after smoking the competition in the Battlewing trivia round. Battlewing was an ally of Phantom Fire and the two were often written into each other’s comics. They both resided in Silver City, and with the new animated series being titled Silver City, it made sense that both were included in the trip.

Felicity was beginning to realize just how prepared everyone else was, although she was surprised when her last adversary didn’t know that Rick’s name was short for Patrick and not Richard, but she wouldn’t complain. Felicity got that question right, after all, putting her one step closer to Silver City.

Felicity and her final foe, Roy, were both tied at four questions right. Whoever locked in the final question correctly would win. The blonde’s hands were sweating and her thumb trembled on the trigger she held. Roy was staring her down, eyes looking nearly black from the short distance across from her. The host stood between the two, making cheesy jokes and trying to lighten the mood. But neither Felicity nor Roy gave any indication that they were ready to break their stare. And so, the host posed his final question.

“In issue 413 of the original Phantom Fire comics, what is the name of Rick’s only surviving family member?”

Roy buzzed in first, answering immediately. “His sister Edith.”

Felicity, who had initially been shocked and horrified at Roy buzzing first, broke out in a huge smirk. Roy was over-confident and had already assumed he had won but recoiled at Felicity’s response. And then the host told Roy that he was incorrect, and turned the question over to Felicity.

“His sister’s name was Edy in the original comics,” Felicity said confidently. “They didn’t change it to Edith until the Silver City Origins comics-- issue 104, I believe.”

The host, who was stunned for a brief moment, quickly collected himself and congratulated Felicity. The blonde was already bouncing up and down as the Phantom Fire theme song began playing and confetti was shot from somewhere off stage. Felicity scanned the crowd for where she knew Sara had been sitting and found her grinning from ear to ear, two thumbs up.

The shock wore off after a few moments and the real excitement…. and anxiety began to set in. She was photographed with Iris, the other winner, interviewed, forced to sign confidentiality waivers and a dozen other non-disclosure agreements that she wouldn’t say anything until the producers were ready to air the special about Silver City. Felicity hadn’t even known there was going to be a television special, but thankfully it was 90% going to be about the comics with only brief snippets of their time at the Silver City Soundstage.

Felicity had to call in and request the following week off of work (her boss at Circuit Board wasn’t happy, but since she was the most reliable employee he had, she at least knew her job was safe). The days until she left dragged on, each one seeming longer than the previous. She filled her nights with fanfiction and hunting down spoilers about the trip-- which now that the competition was over were few and far between. Apparently the company running the competition released the spoilers to gain interest, and now that they had their winners they weren’t willing to share anything more.

And then finally the day arrived-- where Sara dropped her off at the airport with a gift bag and strict instructions that she had to change before she got on the flight. Felicity agreed, but probably should have opened the package before hand, because she was extremely surprised when she opened it to find a handmade replica of Rochelle Roth’s waitress uniform. Rochelle Roth was one of the only people in Silver city to know Rick’s secret and her unsuspecting job of filling coffee cups allowed her to overhear evil plots a time or two. Rochelle was also Felicity’s favorite female character and so even though the uniform was slightly embarrassing, it also made Felicity that much more excited for a week of cosplaying.

After checking in for her flight, Felicity locked herself in the handicap stall of the airport bathroom and changed into the black a-line skirt, white blouse, saddle shoes and a blue and red apron that said “Big Belly Burger”. She felt slightly ridiculous, but more excited than anything. And when she sat down beside Iris in the waiting area at the gate, she was glad to have a friend like Sara to make her an outfit. 

Iris sighed eying Felicity’s get-up. “I wish I’d thought to bring a costume.”

“I’m sure they’ll have clothes for us there,” Felicity said, straightening her apron on her lap.

“Rochelle Roth though?” Iris questioned.

Felicity nodded. “She’s my favorite.”

Iris shrugged. “If there’s anyone in Silver City I want to be it’s Adelaide Drake.” Iris grinned. “She flirts with whoever she pleases and has gotten almost every superhero in Silver City into a compromising situation at least once.”

“She’s also Battlewing’s greatest nemesis,” Felicity said with a frown.

“Which makes it all that much more fun.”

Felicity wondered if they’d get to pick who they wanted to be once they got to Silver City. She knew she should think of it as the soundstage, but she was committed to full immersion, and that began now, apparently. Because when she stepped out of the plane in Los Angeles the sleek, black 1957 Chevy that awaited them proved that the Comic-Con contest was going all out just as much as she was.


	2. Chapter 2

The chauffeur stood leaning against the driver’s side door of the car, ankles crossed and arms folded. His chauffeur cap covered his eyes but Felicity could see the grin highlighting his features. He shook his head and she could imagine that he was rolling his eyes as well. She assumed it was because of her outfit, but she was so elated she couldn’t even bring herself to care.

“Ms. Smoak, Ms. West,” he said, bowing his head slightly. Felicity found herself bowing her head right back at him as he took her bag from her. “I’m Ray...Palmer.”

“Felicity,” the blonde answered, locking eyes with him. He opened the back door for her and she got in, resting her head against the seat. She was really here. She was really doing this. And she was really, really excited.

Iris scooted into the seat beside her on the passenger side and Ray closed the door. Iris eyed Ray like a hawk as he rounded the car and whistled under her breath as he passed by in front of the hood. “I hope they all look like this,” Iris said quietly. 

Felicity found herself meeting Ray’s eyes in the rearview mirror more than once as they drove along, a blush creeping into her cheeks every time. She wondered if Ray was involved in the Silver City experience or if he was just a driver, but something made her hope that he’d be sticking around. Iris might have been a little outspoken in her sentiments, but Felicity couldn’t deny that she agreed with the brunette on them.

The drive to the studio lot was full of foreign sites and Felicity took it all in, but it wasn’t until the first glimpse of Silver City came into view that she pinched herself just to make sure it was real.

From the bustle around the place it looked like the set consisted of several lots including a city-scape, a park with a pond and a shooting range. And that was just what Felicity could see on the drive in. There were people moving everywhere, dressed in hoop skirts and rolled hem jeans. She felt like she had just stepped into the movie Grease. She had imagined a lot of things about her trip, but somehow this was more grand than even she’d expected.

“It’s incredible,” Iris said beside her, pulling Felicity’s focus in the direction of the other woman.

“It’s intense,” Felicity whispered in acknowledgement.

Ray stopped the car and two women stood in long narrow skirts and form fitting jackets, waiting for Felicity and Iris, who each allowed Ray to open their doors so they could exit the car.

Felicity met eyes with the older woman who seemed to be in charge.

“My name is Moira,” the woman said. “Moira Queen,” she smiled at the girls, but something about it was condescending, a little off. “Welcome to Silver City.”

Felicity and Iris both clapped excitedly before Moira’s expression cut them off.

“We have a few rules here. First is that although each of you will have a scripted rescue and romance, there is to be no touching of the actors.”

“Not a chance,” Iris whispered to Felicity with a giggle.

Moira ‘ahemed’ them and continued. “This is for both your safety and that of the actors. Second is that all electronic devices will be strictly forbidden to uphold the integrity of the experience.”

Felicity gulped. She wasn’t sure she could survive without her cellphone- her only landline to the outside world. So when Mrs. Queen held out her hand, Felicity handed over her iPod instead of her phone, hoping that the woman wouldn’t look closely enough to know the difference. And when Mrs. Queen’s attention was turned to Iris, Felicity powered down her phone and stuck it into her bra. Not her most graceful moment, but it would get the job done until she could find a better hiding place for it.

“Now, you two have been assigned a character here in Silver City based on your personality, personal preferences and past.” Felicity and Iris exchanged a quick glance. “We will get you into wardrobe and make-up first and then we will show you to your residences for your stay.”

Before they departed, Ray leaned over, his hand resting on Felicity’s arm and whispered, “Don’t have too much fun.” He shot her a smirk and then disappeared around the car, where Mrs. Queen was already yelling for him to bring the girls’ bags to their accommodations.

“This is Lyla,” Mrs. Queen told them. “She’ll be spending the week with you girls and can answer any questions you may have while you’re here. She was a winner of a previous event that we put on and has come back to make sure that everything goes well enough to establish this as a standing tradition.”

“I knew you looked familiar!” Felicity exclaimed, and then clamped her hand over her mouth, looking sheepish when all three women turned to her. “I just meant… I mean, I thought I recognized you from somewhere. You were the winner of the super spy competition a couple of years ago. You got to spend the day with Agent Cobalt a.k.a. John Diggle. Oh. My. God. What was he like? I can’t believe you really got to hang out with him for a whole day. Were you on the set of his show? Did you do secret spy stuff? Did you go undercover?”

Mrs. Queen shot Felicity a glare.

“And shutting up in 3….2...1…” Felicity said, tucking her hair behind her ears and biting her lower lip.

Lyla linked her arm through Felicity’s as they headed toward what appeared to be an office building. “I promise I’ll tell you all about it,” she told Felicity.

The four made their way through the lobby and into the massive costume closet. A rack was already set aside for each girl. Lyla’s was full of black form fitting cat-suits and revealing dresses. Felicity’s eyes scanned and found Iris’s rack, which held skirts and dresses made of luxurious fabrics that shined and shimmered under all the lights.

And then Felicity found her rack, which had plain A-line skirts and an apron that looked suspiciously like the one she was already wearing. Lyla was clearly reprising her role as Agent Cobalt’s partner and from the looks of it, Iris would get her wish to be the resident Adelaide Drake character. Felicity was getting her wish too in playing Rochelle Roth. She just hadn’t expected the wardrobe to be so….drab.

Felicity frowned, picking out a brown cotton dress with small pink flowers. It was a cute dress now that she looked at it, and once the initial moment of shock wore off, Felicity found herself giddy once more for the rest of the day… especially when Mrs. Queen announced that they would be attending a dinner party later that evening and would be meeting some very special guests.

Felicity changed into her brown dress and then sat in a vacant makeup chair, letting the stylists work on her face and hair until she was nearly unrecognizable. She’d brought her very favorite cat-eye glasses and put them on to get a better look at herself in the mirror. Her hair was styled with soft waves that pulled back to her single spiral-curled ponytail. Everything about it made her look like someone other than herself and when she stood, taking in her full appearance, she thought she might actually even pass for Rochelle Roth at Comic-Con. Maybe she could talk Sara into making her a dress like this when she got home-- only in a nicer color.

Lyla and Iris whistled and cat-called at each other when they entered the elevator. Lyla was in a body-hugging black satin dress that looked like it had been painted on her and that the paint was still wet. It was just liquid in all the right places. Iris’s dress was a deep crimson and fell to just below her knee. The straps hung off her shoulders and low onto Iris’s arms, reminding Felicity of Ms.Scarlet in the 1980’s movie Clue.

They both turned to Felicity at the same time and told her how adorable she looked. Just her luck, Felicity thought. Even as one of the biggest geeks in the world she was still more adorable than sexy. But no matter, Rochelle Roth always won everyone over in the end with her charm and her wit and her uncanny ability to attract trouble. At least, that’s what Felicity always thought Rick Holte liked best about Rochelle.

When they stopped on the 12th floor, Mrs. Queen motioned for Felicity to exit the elevator and Lyla told her to come up and see her later, in the penthouse. Mrs. Queen’s expression seemed disapproving, but she didn’t say anything.

Felicity was led down a narrow hallway. “As I mentioned previously, Ms. Smoak, everyone’s identities here are based on several factors. It was indicated that your stay here would be best suited to that of Rochelle Roth, the local waitress and companion of Rick Holte.”

Felicity nodded. “That’s great. She’s my favorite character.”

“Yes, well,” Mrs. Queen said, unlocking the door and then handing Felicity the key. “This will be your room while you’re here. It’s size and appearance are set up like Ms. Roth’s. We hope that you’ll find it suitably….cozy…”

Felicity stepped inside, taking in the small space. There was a bed and dresser, a small writing table and sink.

“The lavatory is at the end of the hall. There are three actresses staying in this wing that you’ll be sharing with. But you should hardly see them, they’ll be out working most of your waking hours.”

Felicity cleared her throat. THREE other women she was sharing the bathroom with? This did not sound like a dream vacation to her.

“And in any regard you’ll have Jemma here every morning for your hair and makeup.”

Felicity nodded, still in stunned silence. Lyla was in the penthouse and Felicity was in this cramped room? She was sure that Lyla wasn’t sharing a bathroom with anyone else.

“Ray will be here promptly at 5:40 to bring you ladies to the manor for dinner. Your… dinner appropriate attire will arrive shortly.”

And then Mrs. Queen disappeared out the door, leaving Felicity alone in her room. The blonde dropped down onto the bed, finding that Ray had already brought her bag in. At least she could get some unpacking done before she went exploring even though every ounce of her was screaming to have a look around.

Curiosity got the better of her and she put her room key on the chain around her neck and found her way back to the elevator. After a quick trip down the twelve flights of stairs, she was back in the lobby that if she wasn’t mistaken looked an awful lot like something from season two of Agent Cobalt where he has to stop a bomb from detonating around his partner’s waist. Felicity remembered being on the edge of her seat the entire episode. She wondered if Lyla being here meant that John Diggle would be too. She let out a little squeal at the thought, and then looked around to make sure no one had heard her.

Pushing back out into the warm L.A. air, Felicity picked a direction at random and started walking. Less than a block up the road was the building which housed Big Belly Burger, a place where Felicity assumed she would be spending at least some of her time over the next few days. She peeked into the windows seeing a full restaurant and a flurry of movements inside. It appeared that the kitchen was hard at work. Presumably they’d be feeding the entire staff and guests out of that kitchen for the next few days considering the number of people currently crammed into the place. The dining area was dark though, so she’d have to wait until later to check it out any further.

Feeling a sudden urge to be part of a chase scene, Felicity glanced around, as if she was expecting to find someone following her, and then ducked into a nearby alley.

“Whew, I think we lost them, Rick,” she said throwing a look over her shoulder. “I mean, Phantom Fire,” she squeaked. “I forgot we only use your pseudonym in public.” She paused and then added, “Quick! Back to the clock tower! Battlewing and Agent Cobalt are waiting for us!” Felicity giggled to herself and then made a mad dash back up the block to the main building. She didn’t see anyone and was a bit relieved; she didn’t need anyone thinking she was crazier than they already suspected her to be.

After changing into a ‘dinner appropriate’ dress, Felicity headed up to the penthouse to seek out Lyla. She wanted to find out just what Lyla had done during her day with John Diggle two years ago, if nothing else than to see what would be in store for them this week.

Iris got onto the elevator a couple of floors above Felicity and smiled. “We should get downstairs,” Iris said, noting the illuminated ‘PH’ button. “Mrs. Queen said if we weren’t prompt we’d be left behind.”

Felicity glanced at her watch and frowned; it was already 5:34. She hadn’t realized how long she’d been out walking around outside and outrunning bad guys with an imaginary Phantom Fire. But she’d just have to save questioning Lyla for another time. When the elevator stopped at the Penthouse floor, Lyla was already there waiting and hopped in with the girls.

Ray was prompt, just like Mrs. Queen had said he’d be, picking up the three women and bringing them around the park to the ‘manor’ which was an old colonial style house that could have been plucked out of any affluent New England town. They could have easily walked the distance from the main building but there was something relaxing about being shuttled around.

Felicity was nervous to walk into the house knowing that soon she was probably going to be standing face to face with an actor who would resemble Rick Holte in both looks and actions. It thrilled her to her very bones.

The women all entered the house and were ushered into a large formal living room where three men sat along with Mrs. Queen.

The first was introduced to the group as Barry Allen. He was tall and on the thinner side, standing to greet the women as they entered.

“This is my business associate, Malcolm Merlyn,” Mrs. Queen said, gesturing to the man at the far end of the sofa with a glass of whiskey in his hand. He raised his glass to the women, making eye contact with each of them down the line.

“Ladies,” he said with a slight nod of his head. “It is lovely to meet you.”

Mrs Queen continued, gesturing to the occupied chair in the center of the room. “And this is my son, Oliver.”

The third man barely lowered his newspaper below his eyes to look them over with righteous indignation. 

“Just like his mother,” Felicity scoffed under her breath. She snapped her jaw shut, hoping that no one had heard her.

This garnered another look from the man, although she had already turned her attention to the rest of the party. Oliver tilted his head as if regarding her from another angle might help him make better sense of her, and then raised the newspaper again, ignoring the rest of the group.

“Looks like we’ve got ourselves a Rick Holte,” Iris said with a grin, leaning in close to Felicity. Somehow, Felicity had never expected to be so brushed aside by him if she ever came face to face. Maybe that was because the comics allowed her to see him from all points of view, not just the brusque affront he portrayed.

Felicity and Lyla sat in the sofa opposite Barry and Malcolm while Iris situated herself between the two men on the couch. The party (save the silent and anti-social Oliver) chatted amiably until they were called to dinner.

Felicity was happy to be seated beside Lyla at the dinner table but was less enthused when directly across from her was Oliver. He passed dishes in silence and looked like he was going to make a break for it the first chance he got.

“I can’t believe I’m really here,” Felicity whispered to Lyla, forcing herself to put the unpleasant man across from her out of her mind.

“Well I bet you’d have more fun if you actually spoke to someone other than me,” Lyla whispered back.

Felicity gulped. She hadn’t realized before that the bulk of her conversation was directed to the woman at her side, but she found that she was a bit tongue-tied now when it came to anyone else. Well, anyone other than Oliver perhaps. She was annoyed enough with him to speak to him without hesitation.

“So Mr. Queen,” she said, startling everyone at the table by being the first to directly address him that evening. “I hear there is a charity gala on our last night. Do you enjoy charity work?”

“Not particularly,” he answered, meeting her eyes only briefly. Iris scoffed at him, which pulled his attention away.

“But surely a man of your standing in the community is willing to help those less fortunate,” she said.

Mrs. Queen threw Oliver a glare and Felicity hid a grin as he struggled to not roll his eyes. She wasn’t sure if he really had a problem with charity galas or if he was just being a good actor. Certainly the more she considered it, the more like Rick Holte Oliver became. But if she didn’t start seeing some other side of him soon, she may just be looking for her romantic attention somewhere else, like the adorable but presumptuous driver who’d winked at her the last time she’d seen him.

“Being fortunate has very little to do with a person’s social standing,” he said finally. “And even if it did, passing a person on the street shows just as much about their character as spending hours with them in a stuffy concert hall.”

“Do you really think that you can tell the worth of a person from a single glance?” Felicity asked before she could stop herself.

He paused, choosing his words carefully, and avoiding his mother’s withering glare. “Can you tell me that within the first few moments of meeting each person in this room you didn’t form firm opinions of their character?”

Felicity felt a smirk tug at the corners of her mouth. And then she answered simply. “Well it would be a shame if my first impression of you proved correct.”

This seemed to stun Oliver into silence once more and even Iris’s goading comments couldn’t bring him back to conversation. Felicity felt satisfied at besting him at his own snarky game, even if it may have been a little harsh.

She had always thought that meeting Rick Holte would be a dream come true, had always imagined what it would be like to meet him on the street, in his favorite coffee shop, on a rooftop where he’d carry her to safety from some crazed adversary. But now, as she sat across from Oliver, Felicity found her mind wandering back to the handsome driver. She wasn’t ready to abandon the fantasy of Rick Holte yet, but she also wondered if in this geeky paradise she might actually find a real romantic connection with someone. Sara was always pressing her to date, after all. Maybe she’d sneak out of dinner early and see if she could find Ray.

Oliver interrupted her thoughts excusing himself from the table to run off to some important meeting that couldn’t be missed. Mrs. Queen seemed less than thrilled but didn’t object. Felicity had just gotten up the nerve herself to leave but felt like she couldn’t now. And so, she stayed at the table through the rest of the dinner, chatting with Lyla, Barry and Iris.

It wouldn’t have mattered even if she had left early, she soon discovered. Because when the car pulled up to bring them back to the main building, Ray wasn’t behind the wheel. Felicity shrugged it off, enjoying the cool evening air and the pleasant company and the still dawning realization that tomorrow just might be her biggest adventure yet.


	3. Chapter 3

Felicity woke early and after not much sleep. She’d tossed and turned most of the night, her dreams restless and often of Rick Holte-- only with the face of Oliver Queen. When she finally opened her eyes to the sky beginning to lighten, she forced herself out of bed, picking a black pencil skirt with a slit that went up just above her left knee and coral colored blouse off the rack of clothes in her room. She’d overheard the night before something about a range today, and Felicity was curious if they were going to be at the Silver City Firing Range learning to shoot. She’d been shooting with her father plenty of times before when she was younger and was eager to impress the other people in the group. If she were being completely honest with herself, she’d mostly imagined the stunned look on Oliver’s face, but Felicity wasn’t ready to be completely honest with herself… not on an empty stomach and certainly not when she’d be looking said man in the face shortly.

After hair and makeup, Felicity, Iris and Lyla walked down the block to Big Belly Burger, which for all intents and purposes could have been a functioning establishment for all the bustle around the place. Oliver sat alone in a booth with one hand wrapped around a cup of coffee and the other cradling another newspaper. Felicity couldn’t decide if she found it more annoying or off-putting. Not that it really mattered. She grabbed a bagel from the counter, smearing far too much strawberry cream cheese on it, and headed for the booth where Lyla and Iris were already chatting.

Not two feet from their table, Felicity glanced down at her plate, making sure the balanced yogurt cup and spoon weren’t getting ready to topple off, when an obstacle popped up in her way. Felicity halted, but the bagel went flying, cream cheese side out, right onto the back of Oliver’s shirt as he stood in her way.

“Ugh seriously?!” She demanded, peeling the bagel off his back. “The world literally does not revolve around you here, Mr. Queen.”

“Perhaps you should be watching where you’re going,” he said, turning around. “After all, I’m the one with your breakfast down my back.”

“Me watch where I’m going?” she scoffed. “You stood up without even checking to make sure anyone was there. I was walking. I clearly had the right of way.”

A hint of an indignant smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. “If you’ll excuse me,” he said. “Apparently I need to change before today’s activities.”

And he left her there with her bagel on the floor and her mouth hung agape. Lyla was at her side in an instant, laughing off the incident and asking Felicity what she’d said to make Oliver’s face that particular shade of purple. Lyla sat Felicity down, returning a moment later with a new bagel and cup of yogurt.

Felicity had barely taken two bites when Mrs. Queen appeared, motioning for them all to come with her, as Ray had arrived to bring them to their first activity and the older woman informed them again, that they were under a very strict time table that could not be deviated from. At least Felicity knew where Oliver got his anal retentive qualities from.

“Tardiness will result in being left behind, ladies,” Mrs. Queen said, her voice taking on a sing-song quality, like she were daring one of them to test her on it.

Barry and Ray stood chatting outside beside the car; the chauffeur seeming to seek out Felicity’s eyes rather quickly, not that she had noticed.

“My son,” Mrs. Queen said, darting a quick glare at Felicity. “Will be with us shortly. He has been momentarily detained.”

Felicity returned an apologetic smile, but Mrs. Queen seemed unphased. She didn’t get in the car with them, however, which Felicity found oddly reassuring. Something about Mrs. Queen made her feel like she constantly had to be on her best behavior or that she was always being judged. It was like Felicity could never relax when the other woman was around.

Ray did indeed take them to the shooting range, and Oliver was already there, leaning against his emerald green Ducati, ankles and arms both crossed, when they pulled up. Barry and Iris took the lane at the end, chatting and laughing as he showed her how to hold the gun.

Oliver came up beside Lyla, pointing her in the direction of the center lane, handing her a pair of safety glasses and protective ear muffs. Felicity frowned, making her way to the closest lane on her own. Not that she needed the guidance.

“You know what you’re doing with one of those?” Ray asked, eyeing the handgun sitting beside Felicity.

“I know my way around a range,” she said, slipping the earmuffs around her neck. And although she’d never shot a Colt Python revolver before, she knew enough about it to know the logistics. Still, it was nice (albeit a bit presumptuous) when Ray came up behind her, arms around hers rather intimately, showing her how to hold the gun and aim for the target some 50 feet away.

“I think I got it,” she said, causing him to take a deliberate step back. She could feel eyes on her as she took aim and pulled the trigger, but it wasn’t until the 6 chambers of the cylinder were emptied that she paused long enough to see whose eyes they were. She was surprised to find Oliver watching her, although his attention quickly went back to Lyla as soon as Felicity met his gaze.

Once all three girls had finished, they retrieved their targets, Barry and Ray both congratulating Felicity at the accuracy and consistency of her shots, which had all found their way in the heart of the target. Oliver met her eyes once, with a slight nod of his head, but said nothing.

“Where’d you learn to shoot like that?” Ray asked, his voice betraying his awe.

“Maybe you’re just a good teacher,” Felicity teased, feeling a little bolder now. She folded the paper target in half and stuck it under an arm. “So my lack of caffeine this morning is catching up to me. I think I saw a vending machine down the hall. Anyone want anything?”

Everyone else declined, so Felicity made her way to where she thought she’d remembered seeing the machine. She’d wandered down several corridors before she found the right one, and after fighting with it for an inordinate amount of time, it finally accepted her dollar bill and gave her the Diet Coke she’d been craving. It wasn’t her normal java jolt, but it would get the job done until she could get some coffee in her system.

She made her way back to the shooting range, but everyone was gone. Felicity pulled out her schedule and checked her watch before bounding down the hallway, racing for the exit, hoping that she hadn’t put Mrs. Queen’s timeliness to the test. But when she got outside, the car was gone.

“Hey, you were with that weird nerd group right?” Someone said, walking up to Felicity. It was the owner of the facility, and he had a slip of paper in his hand. Felicity nodded and took the paper- a note from Ray, saying that he’d be back for her as soon as he dropped the others off.

Felicity sighed, sticking the note into her purse and heading back toward the general direction of the main building. She didn’t mind the walking and in fact it gave her a chance to take in the city. She knew they were still on the film lot, or at least near it. But the shooting range seemed open to the public, so perhaps they’d left the set after all. She’d only been walking for a few moments when she felt it, the shift in the air. The clouds rolled in quickly but Felicity hoped that she was closer to the set than she was to the range, so she didn’t turn back even when she should have. The rain came slowly at first, just droplets here and there, cooling her skin in the warm afternoon air. And then it picked up, not drenching her but certainly making her more wet than she would have liked. She was hoping that Ray would have been back by now to get her, but no luck.

And then she heard the roar of the engine that was unmistakably a motorcycle. The green bike slowed to a stop just ahead of her, causing Felicity to stop walking.

“Did that driver abandon you out here?” Oliver asked, a little gruffly.

“He’s coming right back,” Felicity answered, forcing a smile.

He turned on the bike, reaching behind him and held out a helmet to her. “I wasn’t raised to leave a lady out alone on the streets of a strange city.”

“I’m fine…”

He narrowed his gaze and finally Felicity conceded, taking the helmet from his hands and staring at the bike for a moment. “That’s uh… really not going to be possible in this get up,” she said, gesturing to the tight skirt that clearly was not going to allow her to straddle the motorcycle. Oliver lowered the kickstand, crouching beside her and grabbing at her skirt slit against her left leg and pulling until it had ripped nearly all the way up her thigh.

“Whoa whoa whoa!” she exclaimed, but the damage was done, leaving her skin scorched where he’d touched her and her leg nearly completely exposed. She was grateful that his attention seemed to be focused elsewhere because she was positive that her face was bright red. Oliver swung back over the bike, Felicity getting on behind him and fastening the strap for the helmet under her chin.

“I don’t think I can do this.”

Oliver grabbed her hands, wrapping them around his midsection and pulling her tight against his back. She felt him lock her hands together around the taut muscles of his stomach. “Anyone,” he said over his shoulder. “Who can shoot a gun like that, can ride a motorcycle.”

And then the engine of the bike roared to life and Felicity held on for dear life as the bike took off down the road, through the rain, back to the Silver City set.

The drive didn’t take long but as they slowed to a stop beside the main building, Felicity watched as everyone’s eyes turned to her. Barry, Iris and Ray were all outside when the bike came rumbling to a stop and Felicity clambered off, feeling far too exposed in her ripped skirt and drenched blouse that clung to her skin. She handed Oliver back the helmet, but his eyes were already on Ray.

“Palmer! What the hell were you thinking leaving her alone like that?’ Oliver demanded, his voice a low growl.

“I was coming right back,” Ray said back, defensive but no less aggressive.

“I’m really fine,” she said, glaring between the two of them. “It’s not a big--”

“Oh Felicity!” Iris exclaimed, taking in the sight of the blonde’s attire. “What happened to you?!”

Felicity attempted (without luck) to pull the ripped sections of her skirt back together before ultimately giving up and smoothing her hair back off her forehead. “I think,” she stated finally. “That I’m just going to go…. powder my nose.” She headed toward the building, completely oblivious of the two sets of eyes following her every move.

\---

Later that night, after the excitement of the day had died down, Felicity found herself back at the manor in a room with all the usual suspects. She assumed they would be her companions for the week, but with Iris, Lyla and Barry off playing some card game and Mr. Merlyn whispering passes at her, Felicity could barely contain her annoyance. She wanted to be free, out exploring the city and enjoying the fact that she could pretend to be Rochelle here without fear of anyone (except maybe Oliver) thinking she was a total nutjob.

“I think I’m going to head out early,” she said with a yawn and a cat-like stretch. “I want to get to Big Belly Burger early enough tomorrow to actually have breakfast.”

She waved to Iris and Lyla, telling them she’d see them in the morning, and then made her escape. Sticking to the grounds as to not be left behind again when the car headed back to the main building, Felicity wandered around the side of the house until she heard music coming from a lit-up garage around the back. It was a Foreigner song blasting through not very good speakers and Felicity found herself giggling quietly when a second voice started belting out the chorus along with the recording.

“I’ve been WAITING for a GIRL like YOU,” the voice bellowed.

Felicity moved silently toward the door, and then in a split second decision, she knocked. The music died instantly and there was a bit of rustling around inside. When the door finally opened, she was a bit surprised to find Ray standing there in a grease stained white t-shirt. His hands and arms were mostly clean but he had a smear across his forehead.

“Sorry,” she apologized, feeling sheepish. “I didn’t mean to bother you.”

“Are you lost?” Ray asked, a single eyebrow raised.

“No,” Felicity answered with a smile. “I just… I heard your music and….”

“Quick,” he said, taking her hand. “Before Mrs. Queen catches us and we’re both in trouble.” Ray pulled her into the garage where Felicity’s eyes fell on the old 57 Chevy that he’d picked her and Iris up from the airport in.

“Is this your car?” she asked, walking over toward it and laying a hand on the opened hood.

He shrugged. “Eh, you know… just working on her right now. But I think I may be able to sweet talk her into a deal if Mrs. Queen makes this place permanent.”

“She’s a beautiful car,” Felicity remarked. She’d never done much with cars before-- that type of putting things together wasn’t quite her specialty, but she could admire beauty when she saw it… and this car was certainly something to behold. When Ray didn’t answer she turned around to face him.

“I’m sorry about this afternoon,” he said finally, meeting her eyes.

“Oh it’s fine. I would have been totally fine if it weren’t for Prince Valiant showing up.” Felicity leaned back against the car, watching a slow smile spread across Ray’s face.

“The actors are paid to be valliant you know.”

“Right,” she said with an exhale that was half sigh, half scoff. “So what are you working on exactly?”

“You do a lot of mechanics?”

“Nope,” Felicity said with a grin. “So anything you say will sound fancy to me.”

He took a step closer. “Then maybe I shouldn’t say anything at all.” He clicked the music back on and then reached for her hand, snaking an arm around her back and pulling her into a gentle sway of the music. He belted out the chorus again, making Felicity laugh and giggle and blush. It was the most fun she’d had with one of the men since she’d gotten there, and she was only slightly annoyed that it was with someone who wasn’t involved in the whole thing.

They danced for two more songs, and when Ray leaned in to place a chaste kiss on her lips, Felicity didn’t pull away. She did leave shortly thereafter, however, not wanting to miss the car ride back to the main building. And when she passed Oliver on the large porch of the manor, she gave him a huge grin and a brief, whispered, “Goodnight,” even though the scowl that seemed to be a permanent fixture on his face never wavered.


End file.
